Workin' Boot Camp

Rave's breeder came out for a visit and to give my friend and I some lessons with our dogs. I had a blast. We laughed, ate, and indulged a little with some adult refreshment.

We would be up and having breakfast while it was still dark. As soon as it got light enough we headed out to sort sheep and take the ducks from their pen to the arena. Work our dogs until it got to hot. We video each other while we worked. I think these videos will be really nice to refer back to as I start to slip back into my old habits. We would come in and make lunch, watch the videos along with some trial video we had for a few hours. My friend would then go home and take care of her other dogs and we would all rest a little, take a shower and get back together for dinner at around 5:30 at a local restaurant. I ate more than I have in many a day. It was great but set my diet back by a good measure. Worth every bite of it too! After dinner we would return to work dogs until it got dark. I am afraid I really put Jamie through her paces trying to get the concepts through but I really enjoyed it. It would be great to work on what we where doing and get back together in 3 months to see how we accomplished it and to get tips on where to go from here and corrections on what we where still doing wrong.

I also got frustrated and flabbergasted at those dang ducks and my lack of being able to 'get it' ! Do you know how many instructions can be hurled at you in a matter of a few moments as you are trying to get those dang ducks to go in the pen? Believe me it's a lot and I needed every one of them. We did get those ducks in the pen--once.

I also found out how many times I say stop without meaning it. I have been using it more as a check up, until of course I really wanted a stop. Then I didn't have one. Now isn't that a surprise . We learned an exercise to keep her square and not moving in on her stock when she repositions, very important in pen work. Worked on settling after the second panel to set up for the center obstacle.

The calves that I was able to round up for us to use where a bust. They are young dairy steer calves. They gave no challenge to the dog at all. If the dog stayed ten feet back they moseyed along. Turned when asked and when you opened the center pen they headed right to it. The dog just needed to give a bit of presence and in they trotted. A dream group for a farmer who just wants the stock to behave and get the job done a easy as possible, but not so good when you are trying to train your dog to take control. So we didn't work the calves after one turn. The sheep surprisingly decided to play the game. They are my sheep, know the facility and the two dogs well. Suddenly they decided that they where flighty and didn't trust the dog. So they worked better than I anticipated. The ducks where totally hard. They are not about to get close to a human or go into a small pen. I spent most of my time working them and getting tips on how to position myself and Rave to make it work.

Accomplishments, goals and plans

• Got the ducks in the pen!


• Work on repositioning without moving in on the stock, especially when she stops.


• Work on her settling the stock between me and her, on the fence first then in the open


• Work on bringing her out and holding her pressure as stock approach the second panel


• Work on both Rave's and my abuse of the word Stop. Seems like I have had this goal a few times before. I am a slow learner ;-)


• Be patient. Rome wasn't built in a day

Continued Foundation Work

Today we went out to Dianne's to work the cattle. We sorted off a really nice group and got to work concentrating on pacing, holding the shoulder and no unnecessary force. I really tried to get square flanks as we preceded around the arena holding them to the fence. When she heeled it was necessary and most of the time I was able to hold her from going to the head and turning them back. We drove them straight down the middle of the arena without me saying a word to adjust her line. That went really sweet. Called her off and did a couple of outruns. I made her stay out on her away side, her more difficult direction. Her second away outrun was real nice although she is approaching the lift a little to cautiously. Her come bye outrun was nice. She is showing more confidence in holding position when the cattle are facing her.

After lunch we returned to my place and once again I tried to pen the ducks to no avail. Poor Rave did exactly what I asked so I am obviously asking for the wrong things. I sure hope I don't burn her out before I figure it out!

Accomplishments, goals and plans

• Rave showing more confidence on the head when cattle face her
• Rave is staying out nicely on her outrun
• Work on a 'harder' lift. She is a bit to cautious now
• Work on one hit and staying calm (both of us) letting the cattle move off
• Continue to work on the center with the ducks

Failure

The past couple of days I have been trying to pen non pen trianed ducks and have failed. I don't know if I will ever get this right. Rave tries her heart out for me. She is a great dog.

Accomplishments, Goals and Plans

• Don't give up

Duck Pens

Today was very nice after several days of much needed rain. But oh it was good to see the sun again! And it didn't even get hot. A perfect day. At least weather wise.

Rave and I did not seem quite in sync today. I have been demanding more obedience from her and I think she is getting a bit disgruntled. We worked all the sheep together, driving in a square. Penned all 14 of them in a free standing 8 x 8 pen. They didn't all want to squeeze in there but they didn't fight to hard so not a real test of penning ability. We did a few outruns. Then sorted out some sheep so my friend and her dog could work.

On our second turn we worked the ducks. I finally made a regulation center pen with rigid sides. The pen was great. The penning wasn't. We tried for awhile but Rave was getting frustrated so I decided to call it quits. After my friends turn we went to lunch and relaxed. Then went out and saw my son's new horse. That was fun and I returned to work stock with a new frame of mind.

We took out a fresh batch of ducks. None of my ducks are trained to go into a pen or a crate so it is a true test of us working as a team and getting the job done. Well it was going no better than the first time with frustration levels climbing. I turned to my friend and asked her for any suggestions. She showed me how MY position was wrong. I had been moving back from the pen as Rave tried to bring them in. What I needed to do was move forward! So we set up to try again. We did ring the pen a couple of times but we did get them in. Whoopee! I couldn't get the gate shut without putting on to much pressure and having the ducks come squirting out but we did get them in!

Back to Basics

Yesterday I worked the sheep. It has been really hot so we worked on slow and easy. I used the whole flock of 14. A mixed group of Katahdins and California Red woollies. The woollies tended to drag. The Katahdins stepped out nicely but where to hot to try to make a break to the draw. So around in a rectangle, off the fence line, we went. Me trying to keep the rectangle, well rectangular. Rave trying to keep the woollies pushed up to the Katahdins. We went come bye for awhile and then switched to go bye.

After that I put them all in a 16 x 16 take pen. I went inside too. Now I haven't done that in ages! And yes, once in awhile I got a bit buffeted. We worked on going to the corners and stopping. Moving slowly and giving the sheep a change to move. As there where so many sometimes there was a traffic jam, or should I say sheep jam, and Rave would have to be patient while they sorted themselves out and gave the stuck sheep a place to move to. After that I called it quits.

Accomplishments, plans and goals

• Rave is pacing herself nicely with her home sheep in the arena
• She is showing a lot more patience
• Continue to work on the driving in a square. Encourage her to correct the line without me giving a flank
• Work on 'shifting gears'. Make sure I don't spend so much time slowing her down that I loose the push and faster pace when I need it

Back on the Dusty Trial

After what seems like many weeks of travel and being unable to work stock Rave and I finally got back out to Dianne's house to work the cattle. It was a good work session albeit very dusty as we have had no rain all summer. Rave was listening fairly well and my good friend was out with her young dog taking videos of us. It really showed my tendency to stop poor Rave short. I can also see where she is working to close and needs to kick out much wider on her flanks which she can't do if she is driving so close. She did some very nice work too. Her pace is improving, she is stopping much better, and holding pressure on the head better each time. Sure wish we where in a position to work cattle 4 or 5 times a week. I think we would both improve dramatically if we could!

Goals, Plans and Accomplishments

• Keep more distance on the drive
• Don't stop her short
• Make sure she does a good outrun
• Encourage square flanks
• Be patient with cattle, slow is fast